


Marching On

by DistantStorm



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Cara Dune is the friend Mando deserves, Gen, Missing Scene, Spoilers for S1 E8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22010338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantStorm/pseuds/DistantStorm
Summary: The Mandalorian had said she was his friend. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to have many.A missing scene from episode 8: Redemption.
Comments: 37
Kudos: 330





	Marching On

She tells herself it’s because of the smoke. Her eyes water and don’t stop, but she doesn’t permit the tears to fall. She won’t look back. She can’t. Because if she stops, if she doesn’t keep putting one foot in front of the other, she’ll turn right around and run back to her own death.

Mando was right. She knew he was right, but that doesn’t matter. It’s not her style. She doesn’t leave men behind. She’s seen too many battlegrounds, too many people lost. If there’s even a chance, she has to take it. 

She doesn’t want to lose anyone else. She sees too many people when she closes her eyes.

The child cries. It’s muffled by the bag, but it grows louder as they continue on.

“Make it be quiet,” Karga orders, voice a rough, panicked whisper. “We can’t afford to have its crying give us away.”

That’s logical, she can agree with that. She adjusts her grip, more cradling it than having an arm wrapped around its middle. “Alright little guy,” She says, brows furrowing as she peels down the opening of the pack with a gloved finger. “You gotta be quiet for us, okay? We can’t let them catch us.”

It makes a questioning sound, strangled and scared, squirming to look around.

“He’ll be right behind us-”

The kid cries out, a shrill, disbelieving sound.

“I didn’t say lie to it!” Greef might look more distressed than the kid does at this point. “Clearly it understands that…  _ something _ has happened.” He casts a pointed look at her and she resists the urge to smack it from his face. “Everything’s going to be fine,” He says, in a voice that couldn’t fake calmness even if it wanted to.

The child blinks up, looking into her eyes with watery ones of his own, and she can’t help but swipe at the back of hers. In sympathy, she tells herself. She’s not crying. She won’t. “We’re gonna get you somewhere safe. The Mandalorians are going to help us. That’s what he-”

As if remembering something, she shoves the flashlight at her companion and gropes at her side pocket, stopping when her fingers catch the strip of leather cording. Greef makes an irritated huff but she doesn’t look up at him; There’s no time for bickering. The metal glints off the light, even though it’s pointed at the ground, further ahead. The child looks at it, tilting its head in surprise. It quiets immediately and a hand reaches out.

Her chest heaves, but she makes herself say it. “He was doing this to protect you.” She lets the charm touch his small hand and dangles the cord around his neck. “So I need you to be quiet for him, alright?”

The child makes a tiny sound, those fathomless brown eyes blinking back tears. He pulls the hand clutching the necklace back into the sack. She can see where it’s other palm comes up, the way he cradles it to his chest. It hurts in a way that trumps any kind of physical pain.

“Good job,” Greef murmurs, at her side.

“There’s nothing good about this,” She snaps. She feels hollow. She wants to go back, but... 

The Mandalorian had said she was his friend. He didn’t seem like the kind of man to have many. Now, he was counting on her to see this through in his stead.

She takes one step forward. Then, another. The child stays quiet, holding his last connection to his guardian. “Let’s just keep moving.”

**Author's Note:**

> visit me on tumblr?
> 
> foundlings-are-the-future.tumblr.com

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Marching On [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977502) by [blackglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackglass/pseuds/blackglass)




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